tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34646158901386888292016-09-07T21:29:19.529-07:00The Geeky QuillThe Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-18066741715760117382009-05-27T14:15:00.000-07:002009-05-27T14:33:43.523-07:00Pine Creek and Refinancing vs. Library charges<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/Sh2u6iTsXsI/AAAAAAAAAE4/Oa1roxpX3Sw/s1600-h/P1010040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340617053796327106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/Sh2u6iTsXsI/AAAAAAAAAE4/Oa1roxpX3Sw/s320/P1010040.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/Sh2uvewAPBI/AAAAAAAAAEw/WXwKfRUJ3Eg/s1600-h/P1010039.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340616863862766610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/Sh2uvewAPBI/AAAAAAAAAEw/WXwKfRUJ3Eg/s320/P1010039.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/Sh2ujtz3OCI/AAAAAAAAAEo/pwaWJR0bTFM/s1600-h/P1010038.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340616661747054626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/Sh2ujtz3OCI/AAAAAAAAAEo/pwaWJR0bTFM/s320/P1010038.JPG" border="0" /></a> And now for something completely fine. The twins and I go to the creek down the street from our house often, but I never think to bring a camera. We were doing a report for Jr. Rangers and needed a visual. </div><div></div><div>So, here are the girls slogging around. It's more of a stinky marsh than a creek this time of year. But we love it.</div><div></div><div></div><div>On another unrelated note: We just refinanced and I have a lower credit rating than my husband. The only credit card I've ever had was the one we've had together for the last ten years. (And we never carry a balance from month to month.) Peter looked into the factors used for credit scoring and one was library use. So, maybe I had too many late charges or just the fact that I check out books weekly, but that must the what put me below him. Strange. I'd never have thought of that in a million years. No problem, though. We were able to refinance. </div><div></div><div></div><div>Oh, and Bane read the last entry and he was almost flattered by my description of him. Oh goody. :/</div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-7357698577789777302009-05-14T08:06:00.000-07:002009-05-14T08:28:55.176-07:00Novel Titles, Embarrassing Words, and Star TrekWe saw <em>Star Trek</em> last night. Yeah! It was even better than we expected and we're eager to see it again.<br />So, in honor of that, here's a Nerf Herder video called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ-lmtY6sis">Mr. Spock</a>.<br /><br />I looked up a few of the title choices for my novel on the <a href="http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/index.php">Lulu Titlescorer</a> .<br />The best was <em>The Whimsicality of Perception</em>. It had a 69% chance of being a best seller. Take that oh you people who hated that title!<br /><em>Syzygy</em> was second.<br /><em>Misperceptions</em> came in third.<br /><em>To Be Human</em> came in last.<br /><br />Lulu didn't take into account cover art, but I happen to know that teens browsing a bookstore take the cover into account when they're making their choices. They also take into account whether or not the title is embarrassing (at least the girls do) and Lulu didn't have a category for how embarrassing a particular word might be.<br /><br />So, what are some embarrassing words? I'll have to guess, as my teenager isn't around at the moment:<br />Banana?<br />Bra?<br />Rutabaga?<br /><br />I wonder if the difficulty some may find in pronouncing <em>Syzygy </em>would deter possible readers.The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-79542807571835926622009-05-08T13:34:00.001-07:002009-05-08T13:53:21.384-07:00It's been a Mr. Toad's-wild-ride of a week. Last weekend, the twins made their first communion. That was soooo wonderful.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SgSYBv2XIuI/AAAAAAAAAEI/ZB49saMJnTQ/s1600-h/Daphne+and+Fiona.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333555014505276130" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SgSYBv2XIuI/AAAAAAAAAEI/ZB49saMJnTQ/s320/Daphne+and+Fiona.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SgSXwdnKRII/AAAAAAAAAEA/PxVHh77G8Gc/s1600-h/Church+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333554717551903874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SgSXwdnKRII/AAAAAAAAAEA/PxVHh77G8Gc/s320/Church+3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then I my heart dropped to my stomach when my 17 yr old sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night... twice! Sorry, I don't have pictures of that. :P I'll post pics when I hang two particular nameless people by the toes over a vat of ravenous sea monsters.<br /><br />Then my 17 yr old passed her State Board esthetician exam. Yippee! She wouldn't let me take a picture of her holding the license, though. I was her model. I got one brow waxed, one tweezed, a dermal light facial, make-up, two kinds of false eyelashes, and booties on my feet. Not sure what that was for, but they were a nice touch.The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-1689860766848094932009-04-13T16:55:00.000-07:002009-04-13T17:15:48.645-07:00Jack Benny and MeToday I turned thirty-nine, so instead of the mundane "Happy Birthday," my mom said, "You and Jack Benny." Now I've always been a Jack Benny fan. You young ones won't have heard of him. Heck, I shouldn't have, but I watched a <em>LOT</em> of old TV shows as a kid. Warner Brothers did a cartoon adaptation with mice. I didn't recall that he always claimed to be thirty-nine. Of course as a kid, thirty-nine may as well have been a hundred and thirty-nine. So, now this birthday has a sort of cool significance. <br /><br />Some highlights of this birthday include: nifty motorcycle boots from my sister-in-law (guess word got out about my duct-taped rain boots), the ice cream shop and the comic book shop with my kids (I got "Hellboy: Strange Places." Did I mention my fantasy of Mike Mignola illustrating my novel?), my mom's pineapple upside-down cake (to die for), and tonight dear husband's taking me to Indian food. Yipee!The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-72748621519202645732009-03-31T18:16:00.000-07:002009-03-31T18:26:37.187-07:00Your Favorite Moon Songs<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SdLCe7CERCI/AAAAAAAAAD4/0U4tOAR02wk/s1600-h/moon.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SdLCe7CERCI/AAAAAAAAAD4/0U4tOAR02wk/s320/moon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319527946376201250" /></a><br />I'm doing a little research for my novel and I thought it might be fun to bring anyone in on it who would like to participate. I need to know your favorite moon songs- that is, songs about the moon. One of the characters is making a mixed CD of moon songs and while I won't be naming every song in the actual novel, I enjoy a well developed backstory. <br /><br />Here are a few to get us started:<br /><br />Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd<br />Moon Dance - Van Morrison<br />Blue Moon of Kentucky - Bill Monroe<br />Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater RevivalThe Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-41453677867270690872009-03-12T14:44:00.000-07:002009-03-12T14:57:31.912-07:00Character Reaction BelievabilitySomething on the light side for the blog today. Don't worry, I haven't forgot about God. <br /><br />Fictitious characters in novels and movies run across creatures and situations that would cause ordinary people to wet their pants. Characters maintain enough composure to battle zombies, capture fairies, speak to ghosts, and kiss mermaids and it's typically believable. <br /><br />The kids and I are currently watching <em>Hellboy</em>. When Agent Myers meets Hellboy for the first time, he doesn't run screaming from the room. He doesn't become petrified by fear. He greets him as politely as he's able. <br /><br />Harry Potter and Hermoine run across ghosts for the first time at Hogwarts and don't turn white and flee the Great Hall and they grew up in the ordinary world like the rest of us. <br /><br />In <em>Labyrinth</em>, Jereth, the goblin king, stands before a brave Sarah who juts out her chin and sasses him. She calmly walks into the maze and asks a worm for advice. <br /><br />Alice falls unnaturally slow down the deepest rabbit hole ever burrowed lined with bookcases and wonders calmly where she'll end up. <br /><br />So in my budding YA urban fantasy novel, why is it so hard for a couple of my critiquers to believe that a young woman doesn't absolutely freak out when the guy who stalked her and made a lame attempt to kidnap her buys her a sandwich? Is she under reacting? You betcha, <em>if</em> we were talking about a real person. She's going to face a lot weirder things before this novel's through. If she became hysterical every time something frightening happens, we won't have much of a story. <br /><br />Maybe my problem is, I haven't billed it as a fairytale. <br /><br />Any idea from fellow writers, readers, or avid movie watchers?The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-23618642335520134152009-03-10T10:55:00.000-07:002009-03-10T12:02:27.561-07:00Goodness as an Argument for GodA love atheists. They're especially good on toast. ;) One of my favorite writers, Douglas Adams, was an atheist. I like to think he's changed his stance on that since his death. Atheists are so impassioned about their belief that God doesn't exist. They can be as fervent in their belief as many Bible-thumping Christians.<br />So, one of my favorite living atheist left me a comment:<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3464615890138688829&amp;postID=6446147620294482017">Randy's comment</a><br />I followed with an email and then he was inspired to write a couple of interesting posts on his blog <a href="http://sisyphussidestepped.blogspot.com/">Sisyphus Sidestepped</a>. I'll now discuss the idea of goodness as an argument in the favor of God's existence. I welcome any and all feedback. <br /><br />Randy supposes we are purely selfish creatures seeking our own pleasure. He wrote that the number one driving force in life is the avoidance of pain. No doubt that is a huge driving force in many people's lives. But we are thinking humans and not animals so we can override that instinct. Humans risk death and injury to save another person. We donate to the poor when it would be much more fun to spend that money on ourselves. We refrain from boxing up our unruly teenagers and sending them to Timbuktu- (much to the relief of the Timbuktuvians). You can fill in your own examples, I'm sure.<br /><br />The argument can be made that we do those things to keep ourselves from feeling pain. The pain of seeing another person starve, burned in a building etc. But think. A firefighter risks his/her life to protect people. Most they save, a few they can't. Wouldn't firefighters be happier avoiding fires altogether? Something drives us to think of others first. That leads me to my main question...<br /><br /><strong>Why does human life have value?</strong><br />Or does it?<br />Why should I care if somebody suffers or is killed? What's it to me? Why does it hurt me to see somebody suffer? Why should I care if people are starving halfway across the world? Why should I care that millions were killed by Nazis during WWII? If we have no souls and we're just a lump of flesh created randomly, why do we love other people? Do you believe in the existence of love? It's not tangible. You can't see it or touch it. <br /><br />I believe human life has value because God loves us. I'm not the first to suppose this. The Declaration of Independence states that, "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." If anybody wants to deny this statement, go on and give up your rights now. After all, survival of the fittest should dictate that the strongest among us should get what we can without considering another person's rights and value. (It should be noted that I'm a heck of a lot weaker than Randy, so that could be part of my rejection to 'survival of the fittest.') ;)<br /><br />So, I leave you with two questions:<br />Why does human life have value?<br />and<br />Do you believe in the existence of love?The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-64461476202944820172009-02-26T13:15:00.000-08:002009-02-26T14:02:49.689-08:00A Homonym Walks Into A Bar<em>Sound</em><br /><br />I miss the sound of a typewriter going BING at the end of every line.<br />Sorry, off topic-<br /><br />This guy walks into a bar. "Ouch!" He rubs his head. "Who hung that bar there?"<br /><br />Homonyms: words that sound alike but have different meanings<br /><br />I posted a comment on an agent's blog this morning, then looked back at it and noticed I used "their" where I should have used "there." My fingers don't have ears, so I don't know why they typed it wrong. Well, now I look dumb. One day I'll send him a query letter and he'll delete it. "That's the lady who wrote 'their' instead of 'there.' Automatic rejection." <br /><br />Tonight I'm getting a <strong>micro</strong> at my daughter's beauty school. That stands for microdermabrasion. My seven-year-olds keep hearing it as <strong>Mike Rowe</strong>. He's the host of the show "Dirty Jobs." Technically, that's not a homonym. It's a mondegreen. When I come home with all the skin on my face blasted off and no Dirty Jobs guy, they're going to be disappointed.<br /><br />This just in- My 17 yr old used to think that the words to the Elton John song "Bennie and the Jets," were "She's got electric boobs" (instead of boots).<br /><br />Anybody have a favorite homonym or mondegreen?The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-87010095478135813722009-02-24T20:27:00.001-08:002009-02-24T21:00:43.627-08:00A Writer's Life. Warning, not for the squeamishMy daughter said this little guy reminded her of me. :/<br />Okie dokie then. <br />Then I saw the video <a href="http://lisezvous.blogspot.com/">Struggling to Make it</a> posted and I was reminded of the little writer at the keyboard.<br /><a href="http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/amandzia/?action=view&current=Crazy.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/amandzia/Crazy.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-15298692286349247472009-02-18T15:34:00.000-08:002009-02-18T17:21:40.779-08:00Faith and A bike race blogI was alone in church today (there was not mass at that time) saying prayers for my grandma who recently passed away, when I heard a swish-swish sound. I opened my eyes and there was a boy, rosary in hand, shuffling toward the alter on his knees. What an amazing outward sign of faith. I've sometimes felt I wanted to lay down right in front of the tabernacle. I don't. I worry about people looking at me askance. Maybe it comes from my teenager chiding me for kneeling or standing a split second before anyone else, or just a general deep-seated fear of people noticing I exist.<br /><br />I think it was St. John of the Cross who said, it's not your business to worry about what others think of you, but what God thinks of you. I'm attempting to live by that motto. I think I can if I run away to the forest and become a hermit. I would have made a very happy hermit.<br /><br />I've veered from the path I intended in this blog.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Faith</strong>- Deep enduring faith. In this ephemeral life we live, it's a huge comfort if you have it... unless you are among those who sadly avoid thinking of their own demise.<br /><br />Blaise Pascal (mathematician, apologist, the dead French guy who ushered me back to the faith via a teacher's edition of a math text book) wrote:<br /><br />"Nothing betrays more clearly an extreme weakness of intellect than not to recognise the unhappiness of a man without God."<br /><br />I don't know about it being a weakness of intellect. It's sad, though.<br /><br />He also wrote:<br /><br />"There are only two kinds of person whom we can describe as reasonable: those who serve God with all their hearts because they have found him, and those who seek him with all their heart because they have not found him."<br /><br />Sometimes I think I'm the first one, sometimes the second, and at times, neither -simply lukewarm. But, I've discovered that prayer is pretty darn neato at the lukewarm times. I got the idea to pray during those times from C.S. Lewis. (<em>The Screwtape Letters </em>is amazingly epiphanistic).<br /><br />Sorry if this post seems disjointed. I got up several times to drive people places. It was going to be insightful- I know a big contrast to my last post. Oh well, I'm not a philosopher; I'm just a geeky mom.<br /><br />And I am aware that epiphanistic isn't a real word.<br /><br />Oh! And I put up some of the footage my husband and his brother took of the Tour of California bike race. They went up to Patterson Pass yesterday in the rain to watch. Here's a link to my YouTube page:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/madelinemoody">http://www.youtube.com/madelinemoody</a><br /><br />*****************************************************************<br />Here's a random picture of one of the twins with a goat that I didn't realize was still in the camera until I uploaded the stuff from the Tour of CA.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SZyyasAIBNI/AAAAAAAAADo/W9-4hZbwPiM/s1600-h/goat+with+kid.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304310632693630162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SZyyasAIBNI/AAAAAAAAADo/W9-4hZbwPiM/s320/goat+with+kid.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-48627887580002120212009-01-29T20:00:00.000-08:002009-01-29T20:10:24.423-08:00The Geeky Escapism QuizThe Geeky Escapism Quiz<br /><br />In each segment give yourself 2 points if you can answer to the affirmative on the first question, 1 if you can answer yes to the second, but not the first, etc. (ie. Don't give yourself 3 if you can answer both- just take the 2 and be happy) Is that as clear as supernatural enchanted fog?<br /><br />A.<br />2 Pointed ears are a great investment because they can be for an Elf or Vulcan costume.<br />1 Pointed ears are so cool!<br />0 W.T.F.?<br /><br />B.<br />2 You named your child after a character from Star Trek, Dr. Who, or LotR.<br />1 You named your pet after one of the above.<br />0 What's LotR?<br /><br />C.<br />2 You've used ten sided dice.<br />1 You've used a compass for recreational purposes. (Either kind)<br />0 How many kinds are there?<br /><br />D. A dangerous creature jumps out at you.<br />2 You fire your phaser.<br />1 You pull out your sword or wand.<br />0 Dude, it's just a cat.<br /><br />E.<br />2 You know what TARDIS stands for.<br />1 You know the name of Han Solo's spacecraft.<br />0 Wait, wasn't that Harrison Ford?<br /><br />F.<br />2 You currently play role playing games.<br />1 You used to play role playing games.<br />0 Is that something kinky?<br /><br />G.<br />2 You've read the Lord of the Rings trilogy.<br />1 You've seen the films.<br />0 They wrote books about that?<br /><br />H.<br />2 Your favorite number is 42.<br />1 You want to visit Platform 9 3/4<br />0 You still think the number 69 is funny.<br /><br />I.<br />2 You want a pet tribble.<br />1 You want a pet dragon.<br />0 Dragons aren't real, you moron, and what the heck's a tribble?<br /><br />J.<br />2 Elves are beautiful and have a great love for music.<br />1 Elves cook and clean at Hogwarts.<br />0 You mean, like Santa's elves?<br /><br />Bonus Question<br />2 You can name the hologram character in the Red Dwarf series.<br />1 You have the theme from Quantum Leap on your cell phone.<br />0 You're thinking of going back to the Han Solo question.<br /><br />Now Score Yourself<br /><br />20 or above: You win a genuine time machine.<br />16-19 : You win an all expense paid trip on the spacecraft of your choice.<br />12-15 : You win a free membership on <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/">http://www.fanfiction.net/</a><br />8-11 : The Great Gazoo will visit you in your dreams.<br />3-7 : Voldemort will visit you in your dreams.<br />Below 3: You obviously have a life outside of geeky escapism and therefore need nothing I have to offer. I chase you off with my +2 Saber.The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-88956204838473028402009-01-20T10:41:00.000-08:002009-01-20T11:12:38.586-08:00Wasting TimeMy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">blog's</span> been neglected, but I got a nudge from my niece to post something, so here goes.<br /><br />My daughter, (we'll call her N), left <em>Blue Like Jazz</em> (by Donald Miller) on the table next to me. I picked it up, but was forbidden from reading beyond her book mark. She's like that -very specific in her commands, but surprisingly vague about herself. For instance, she'll say, "You have to drive me to beauty school." I say, "When?" She answers, "I don't know." Then any length of time later (a few minutes, a couple of hours, the following day...) she suddenly says, "I have to go NOW. Come on, get in the car!" <br /><br />Sorry, I've strayed from my original point. In this book Donald Miller writes ...(drat, I can't find the exact quote. N has this weird thing about not writing in books) anyway, it says something about the devil spending more energy on getting us to waste time rather than tempting us to do actual evil. I thought that was very poignant, very C.S.LewisScrewtapeLettersish. Sitting on my butt playing solitaire is a complete waste of time. I could be cleaning, praying, reading to the kids, writing my novel (Now some would say, and I won't give any names **my husband** that writing my novel was a waste of time. ). <br /><br />But the point I'm unsuccessfully making is that if you suddenly realized this was your last moment alive, will you be glad you'd just spent the past four and a half minutes making Harry Potter icons for your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LJ</span> (ha ha, sorry N) or do you wish you'd made that phone call to the friend you've been neglecting, baked cookies with your little brother, or wrote a love note to your husband? ...just a thought. <br /><br />p.s.<br />Of course, insert your own examples if you don't have a husband and if your little brother is 68... not that 68 year olds don't enjoy baking cookies. I'm just saying...never mind.The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-6208133223964015482008-12-15T09:54:00.000-08:002008-12-15T10:29:08.776-08:00Zombies, Cats, and Writing<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUadD6Sf4BI/AAAAAAAAACg/EK3k3Mg2J94/s1600-h/Daphne+and+Me+on+bike.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280080303650496530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUadD6Sf4BI/AAAAAAAAACg/EK3k3Mg2J94/s320/Daphne+and+Me+on+bike.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUaaB5YiMAI/AAAAAAAAACI/-npu2PCAJ0w/s1600-h/ZombieCat.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280076970512756738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUaaB5YiMAI/AAAAAAAAACI/-npu2PCAJ0w/s320/ZombieCat.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><p><br />It's a very zombie day. You know, one of those days where you have to wear your zombie shirt? Lucky for me that I have one. (thanks to my niece, Jasmine.)</p><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUabKUvwwuI/AAAAAAAAACY/ANscZQuHYbM/s1600-h/P1010052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280078214808519394" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUabKUvwwuI/AAAAAAAAACY/ANscZQuHYbM/s320/P1010052.JPG" border="0" /></a> Do other people have as many scraps of paper as I do? I have sticky notes, old receipts, and tiny papers all over the house with page numbers, phone numbers, random quotes, words, recipes, lists... It's unending. Do you want examples? No, of course not, but I'll give you some. These just happen to be a few that are within reach.</div><div> </div><div>"Her uncle suddenly looked thin and drawn."</div><div>"Combine 9 &amp; 10"</div><div>"Tortilla chips for our Lady G. 350'"</div><div>"Pearlescent milky glow" (no idea what that's about)</div><div>"His eyes tore at her like claws -Bill" (No that's nothing naughty. He's a fellow writer with an amazing command of the language.)</div><div>and last but not least, and this one I think my daughter wrote- "True Story True"</div><div> </div><div>Ok, and for our dear <a href="http://bluisgrey.blogspot.com/">Mr. Grey </a> who thinks I'm "somewhat illusive " I'll sign this post.</div><div> </div><div>~Amanda The Zombie Queen ;)</div><div><br /> </div><p></p>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-40545371288337623492008-12-12T16:17:00.000-08:002008-12-13T19:10:36.010-08:00motorcycles revisitedI'm thankful that so many people I've talked to (in cyberspace and in person) are concerned about our motorcycle safety. The insurance company isn't overly worried, apparently. They gave my husband a very cheap rate, taking into account his age, marriage status, and driving record. They weren't concerned about his one motorcycle accident because it was so very long ago. I wasn't around then. Well, I was around but not around him. I was probably no older than eight. (Yes we are that far apart in age.)<br /><br /><br /><br />The insurance company <em>was</em> concerned that we understood that we aren't covered by damage occurring in nuclear blasts and the like. As if the first thing we'll think of after we're nuked would be, "Quick honey, call Geico. The paint on the motorcycle has burnt off."<br /><br /><br /><br />I went on my first ride last weekend. Holy cow it was fun! I stupidly forgot to take pictures. If it isn't raining this weekend, I'll bring out the camera and we'll do a photo shoot. According to my husband, I looked sexy, but I sure felt like a space-man in my helmet. Maybe he was just being kind. Either that or he has a thing for aliens. Actually he does. Hmm.....<br /><br /><br /><br />OK, whatever else I had to say has fallen out of my brain. That's what comes of interruptions. It was imperative that I suddenly build a two inch tall cardboard chair. I'm sure you understand.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUMDe40N6nI/AAAAAAAAACA/bTbELXNlrYo/s1600-h/March+08+pictures+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279067017390713458" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SUMDe40N6nI/AAAAAAAAACA/bTbELXNlrYo/s320/March+08+pictures+004.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-41916514317312534142008-12-01T10:53:00.000-08:002008-12-01T11:51:00.739-08:00MotorcyclesMotorcycles have always held a certain mystique for me. They represent freedom, bravery, individuality - plus they're super sexy.<br /><br />I love the old motorcycles. Having one from the 1920's or 30's would be a dream. I love the ones that look like Sergeant Murphy's in the old Richard Scary books. You know, the red one with the shoes inexplicably hanging off the back.<br /><br />Many of my characters ride motorcycles. I've never ridden one unless you count the time when I was about seven and my friend's dad rode me around the corner to my house from theirs. I was petrified for the entire thirty seconds. <br /><br />I've always liked the look of motorcycles, though. They make me smile when I see them on the road. There's a man who rides one to the small neighborhood library we go to. He looks exactly how a burly motorcycle riding guy should look and he sits in the library and reads. I love him for it. <br /><br />So when my husband said, "What would you say to us getting a motorcycle?" I didn't need convincing. I think he just enjoyed the verbal exercise. <br /><br /><br />"It would be practical for commuting," he said.<br />"Sure," I said.<br />"It's easy to find a parking space."<br />"Great. Let's get one."<br />"They get great gas mileage."<br />"I know. Plus you'll look hot on it. Let's go for it."<br />"We can finance it."<br />"Whatever you think is best," I said. <br /><br />So, we bought one. It's a black Honda Shadow. It's new, but it's beautiful. I don't know how we're going to manage the payments, but somehow we'll get by. I just need to convince him to hang a couple of shoes from it.The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-61416820928667619622008-10-22T15:32:00.000-07:002008-10-22T15:53:15.959-07:00Sci Fi vs. FantasyI just read a<br /><a href="http://www.watt-evans.com/sfvsfantasy.html">Very cool piece on SF vs. Fantasy</a><br />by Lawrence Watt-Evans<br />(Those funky colored words are a link to it, in case you can't tell.)<br />**<br />So, I got to wondering- am I writing a science fiction novel or a fantasy? I created a quasi-rational reason for the existence of Fir Na Gealai' and their extraordinary abilities. So, according to this article, I suppose it causes <em>The Whimsicality of Perception</em> to tend toward SF.<br /><br />There are huge flaws in the science, though.<br />I've read SF books and seen SF movies with big holes in the science and/or the plot and it doesn't spoil the fun for me. But I happen to like both SF and Fantasy. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't like fantasy very much but enjoys SF and he doesn't like flawed science in his SF. It destroys the illusion for him.<br />**<br />So, just a little something to think about.<br />**<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">**Here's a random shot of my Douglas Adams collection. It's poor quality because it's just a still shot taken from my towel day video. I just thought perhaps it would spruce up today's post</span>.**<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260114309560861170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SP-uGGNTAfI/AAAAAAAAABg/Lng1p44CrQI/s320/towel+Pic.JPG" border="0" />The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-90859158125081519762008-10-18T12:28:00.001-07:002008-10-18T13:16:00.781-07:00Saturday Photo Time and Shameless Bragging<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SPo6dlnZWEI/AAAAAAAAABQ/SD-UGNiJyzM/s1600-h/doll+and+pony+show.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258579794896443458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SPo6dlnZWEI/AAAAAAAAABQ/SD-UGNiJyzM/s320/doll+and+pony+show.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><strong>It's Saturday. Time for photos and shameless bragging.</strong></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>First up is a lovely piece by Daphne and Fiona called, "Doll and Pony Show in The Sandbox." So many of our days are spent with <span style="color:#cc33cc;">pink </span>and <span style="color:#cc33cc;">sparkly</span> things. </div><div> </div><div>Which reminds me, my teenage daughter said that sparkles are the herpes of the craft world. When one person has them, everyone ends up with them. Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about that, but there ya go.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SPo7s71-0GI/AAAAAAAAABY/WAqQDSqi1Sw/s1600-h/Kitty+on+Heart+Rug.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258581158072864866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SPo7s71-0GI/AAAAAAAAABY/WAqQDSqi1Sw/s320/Kitty+on+Heart+Rug.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Next up is our kitty on a heart rug. This picture is a bit deceptive. He's not normally so docile. Do you know what I saw in the pet store? Little nail caps for cat claws. What'll they think of next? </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>If I've done this correctly, this:</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwVQRWS5X-E">Adina Deck Teaser</a></div><div>should be a link to the teaser trailer that my daughter is in. She plays a girl with an online boyfriend. She's the girl in the striped shirt in the opening shot, and once in the middle wearing a tank top and a computer and in the very last shot she's on the computer. The movie itself is a short film meant to teach teens and kids about internet safety and that sort of thing. </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">I got published!</span> </div><div>Ok, that's taking it a bit too far. I merely got a letter to the editor put into the National Catholic Register newspaper. I've had letters to the editor and letter to the columnist put in before. It's not a great feat of writing prowess, but it's gratifying in a way. </div><div> </div><div>Oh, what was the letter about? I'm so glad you asked. ;)</div><div>I was defending an article about the film "Hellboy." A columnist had written favorably about it because of the Catholic elements. Somebody had written in to say it wasn't a good movie, spiritually speaking. I refuted that and said that it was, but of course I wrote in an unabashedly eloquent manner. (LOL How modest I am today.) </div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#6633ff;">I guess I'm just in a good mood.</span> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div> </div><div> </div>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-8063219717174426472008-10-15T09:36:00.000-07:002009-02-07T10:07:14.559-08:00<p><span style="font-family:arial;">It never fails! I sit down to blog and I can't think of a thing to say. I need a team of reporters following me around to take down the witty things I say all day long. I also need cats (only one cat actually) and kids not to climb on me when I finally sit down to write. That's how typos are born. </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">When I boot up the computer, the kids think it's a signal for them to climb onto my lap and watch Bugs Bunny on YouTube. I guess it comes from having basic $14 a month cable. My kids are starved for cartoons. On the upside, they know one should always discharge their static electricity on the body of the car before filling the gas tank, how electroplating works, and the fact that snakes and spiders can be eaten raw. Gotta love that Discovery Channel.</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">With the help of some of the great folks in my online critique group, I've rewritten my first chapter and I'm fairly happy with it. I simply love that group. <em>Most</em> of them are very helpful and honest without being cruel. The best part, though, is reading fresh new stories. Yum! </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Speaking of "yum," it's pay day. That means something besides kale soup and almonds for dinner. :)</span></p><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300118323819887362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 80px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SY3NiMbSuwI/AAAAAAAAADA/PtKCCJoj7H0/s320/deleted.bmp" border="0" /><br />...because the revision is worlds better than my original chapter one.<br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-57930454916002790082008-10-07T17:02:00.000-07:002008-10-07T17:22:27.024-07:00Writers Group, Eye Lashes, Aluminium Cans, and KittyI joined an online writers group. If you think you have a healthy self image, that's a great place to test it out. Overblown ego? Prepare to be deflated. <br /><br />Seriously, I got some very helpful feedback on my chapter one. It was good to have constructive critisism from writers who know what they're doing. Friends and family (and passing strangers) may be able to tell me what they like and what they don't like or understand, but the other writers can show me what the actual problem is and how I can tweek it. I did also get one critique that pretty much indicated that I should break all of my pencils and take up collecting aluminium cans and cigarette butts. I do have the perfect hat for it. <br /><br />Speaking of fashion, I am now sporting my first ever false eyelashes. <span style="color:#cc66cc;">**</span><em><span style="color:#cc66cc;">blink blink blink**</span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;">What could I do? My daughter needed help with her homework. Yippee for beauty school.</span><br /><br />Oh, and we got a new cat named Avery. Mostly we call him Kitty. He's six months old and purrs like a tiny motorcycle. We were kicking around the idea of getting a new cat. Our old one died recently at the ripe old age of twenty. Avery was about to become homeless when his family had to move to an apartment that doesn't allow cats. So, we rescued him and now we're all in love. :)The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-39392693015309594942008-09-22T12:26:00.000-07:002008-09-22T12:55:09.112-07:0042 Profile Views and Query LettersWow, so 42 people have viewed my blog. Champagne time!<br /><br /><br />Well, by the time somebody reads this, it won't be 42 anymore.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248933934058435506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SNf1ml0L87I/AAAAAAAAAAw/IxHiYjqZlMc/s200/Don%27t+Panic+on+lintel.jpg" border="0" />Um... That's a Douglas Adams thing... <span style="font-size:85%;">(This is a photo of the lintel above our family room entry.)</span></p><p>I was just reading the Query Shark. <em>Holy guacamole</em> she's tough! I guess one doesn't enter the publishing world to have their ego massaged. It's more like hanging it out for target practice.<br />I admire those brave souls who sent their queries to her. I'm thinking of stowing my unfinished manuscript under the floorboards and forgetting about it, only I'm very attached to my characters and I'd like to see them through to the end. </p>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-19241959731125680292008-09-19T14:51:00.000-07:002009-02-07T10:03:59.608-08:00Too corny?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SY3Mx_r0DeI/AAAAAAAAAC4/4v6KDOBY1BE/s1600-h/deleted.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300117495765798370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 437px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SY3Mx_r0DeI/AAAAAAAAAC4/4v6KDOBY1BE/s320/deleted.bmp" border="0" /></a> ...because my revision is worlds better than what was once here.<br /><div></div>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-9137893329779459302008-09-19T12:22:00.001-07:002008-09-19T12:39:42.264-07:00My Hook<div>I'm working on a hook for my wannabenovel.</div><br /><div>Let's see how this sounds:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><br /><div>A young man with super-human abilities sets out to convince the girl he loves to allow her blood to be used to cure him of the madness that periodically overtakes him. Conflicts arise when a sinister organization kidnaps the girl for their own purpose. Her uncle's hatred and prejudice hinders his ability to cooperate with the young man to rescue the girl. </div><br /><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I found it extremely difficult to leave out major details of the plot and reduce it to just a few words and I'm not quite happy with it.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>On another topic:</div><br /><div>I love the pictures so many people put into their blogs. I'll try my hand at inserting one.</div>It's of me and the Crooked Man at Oakland Fairyland. <br /><div></div><br /><div></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SNP_a5I0nnI/AAAAAAAAAAo/ElXfRnui5bU/s1600-h/Fairyland+me+and+crooked+man.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247818828296265330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lUXWRMtvS70/SNP_a5I0nnI/AAAAAAAAAAo/ElXfRnui5bU/s200/Fairyland+me+and+crooked+man.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>The Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3464615890138688829.post-53520534255779956272008-09-15T17:48:00.000-07:002008-09-15T18:10:11.988-07:00Welcome to my blogI hardly have time to write my wanna-be novel and yet I'm starting a blog. What am I thinking?!?!<br /><br />Well, I read that writers should have blogs and be active in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">internet</span> community to network. So, here I am networking instead of writing the actual novel or doing something more productive such as cooking dinner or cleaning the house.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ok</span>, I lied. I <em>am</em> cooking dinner. It's in the oven right now, but I should be cleaning the place up a bit.<br /><br />I just thought I'd tell you about my wanna-be novel which is called, at present, <em>The Whimsicality of Perception</em>. Its title could and probably will change, but that's what it's currently called. I call it "Whim" for short. It is a sort of whim. I started writing it on a whim.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ok</span>, I lied again. I started writing it because I was addicted to writing little short story fan fictions based on other people's stories and my dear practical husband kept telling me to write something that I could actually publish and make money from.<br /><br />So much for writing for the sheer pleasure of it. I've never asked him how the umpteen bikes in the garage will make us any money. He has won a few pairs of socks racing them. Maybe this novel will get me a pair of socks.<br /><br />I realize I haven't told you about the story yet. I'm getting to that. Have you noticed how it's easier to write the actual story than to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">summarize</span> it?<br /><br />It's a fantasy set in modern day California. To be specific, it's the San Francisco Bay Area. Write what you know, right? Bea is a seemingly average young woman living with her uncle in an ordinary home in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">suburbs</span>. I'd like to call her cute and quirky, but I fear you will think you won't like her. I assure you that you will. Even my teenage daughter likes her and she doesn't like anybody.<br /><br />Seriously.<br /><br />Finn is anything but an ordinary young man living in San Francisco with his father. His job is to find Bea for this really evil (but sort of cool) international criminal organization. They have unusual strength and agility and I'm not going to tell you why at this point because the oven is buzzing and one of my seven your olds (they came in a pack of two) has made a maze and a dot-to-dot that I simply must do right now.<br /><br />That's the life of a wanna-be novelist.<br /><br />Or not.<br /><br />~QuillThe Geeky Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17775423147875674123noreply@blogger.com3